Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a surgical device that uses an outer tube to guide multiple medical instruments (e.g., an endoscope and a treatment tool) into a body cavity.
Description of the Related Art
A laparoscope has been known as an endoscopic instrument that is inserted from the skin on a body surface into an abdominal cavity. A surgery (laparoscopic surgery) using this laparoscope only requires a smaller surgical wound than laparotomy and thoracotomy do, and can reduce the post-operation bed rest period. Consequently, such a surgery has recently been widespread in many operations.
Typically, in a laparoscopic surgery (e.g., laparoscopic cholecystectomy etc.), an operator who performs treatment and a laparoscopist who operates a laparoscope are present. The treatment and the operation of the laparoscope are separately performed. Consequently, during the operation, the operator performs treatment while successively instructing the laparoscopist in order to obtain an optimal image for treatment.
However, according to the scheme where the operator instructs the laparoscopist, it is difficult to obtain an image which the operator actually wishes, thereby causing a problem in that stress is applied to the operator. Furthermore, the laparoscopist performs an operation after the operator issues an instruction, thereby causing another problem in that the operation requires time. Moreover, a hand of the operator and a hand of the laparoscopist sometimes interfere with each other above the abdominal wall of a patient, thereby causing yet another problem in that the operation becomes complicated.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-301378 (PTL 1) describes a technique as a configuration that allows a treatment tool and an endoscope to move in interlock with each other. The technique detects the amount of insertion and inclination of the treatment tool, controls optical zooming and electronic zooming of the endoscope to cause the imaging range of the endoscope to follow the movement of the treatment tool.
Furthermore, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 10-118076 (PTL 2) and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-222239 (PTL 3) describe a technique that provides a marker at a distal end part of a treatment tool, detects the position of the marker to thereby detect the position of the treatment tool, and causes the imaging range of the endoscope to follow the movement of the treatment tool.
Moreover, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8-164148 (PTL 4) describes a technique that causes a magnetic sensor provided for a treatment tool to detect the position of the treatment tool, and allows the imaging range of an endoscope to follow the movement of the treatment tool.